Apparatus for treating fabrics



(No Model.) ZSheet-s-Shet 1.

8. GARRETT.

Apparatus .for Treating- Fabr-ics, 820., with Waterproofing Materials.

No. 236,489. Patented Jan. 11; 881.

WITNESSES.

away 5 INVENTOR.

NPETERS PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON 0 c (No Model.) 2 Sheets-She'efl2..

S. G A R R E T T.

Apparatus for Treating Fabrics, &c., with Waterproofing Materials. No.236.489. Patented Jan. 11,1881- new.

INVENTOR.

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, ETEHS, PNOTO-LITNOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D c:

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UNITED STATES:

ATENT FFTCE.

SYLVESTER GARRETT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,489, dated January11, 1881.

Application filed March 22, 1880. (No model.)

proofing paper, leather, or textile fabrics by coating and saturatingthe same with paraffine, wax, stearic acid, or other analogous materialapplied to the surface of the fabric to be treated while in a liquidstate.

The object of my invention is to enable such waterproofing operation tobe conducted with greater economy and useful effect than here- 'toforeby the provision of improved means for liquefying and maintainingthewaterproofing material at a proper degree of heat, properly feeding thesame to and evenly distributing it over the surface of the fabric to betreated, and causing it to thoroughly permeate and be incorporated intothe texture of said fabric.

To these ends my improvements consist in sundry'combinations of devicesorganized into an apparatus whereby waterproofing materials may be firstliquefied and heated in a vat or tank, then supplied to the surface ofan endless absorbent felt or carrier, and finally applied to andincorporated into the fabric to be treated by the joint agency of heatand pressure, the several operations being continuously performed in theapparatus on a commercial scale in the manufacture of waterproofedfabrics.

The improvements claimed are hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinalcentral section through an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, avertical transverse section through the same at the line 00 w of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 a plan or top view of the supply-vat.

To enable those skilled in the art to practice my invention, I shalldescribe the same as conducted by the use of an apparatus which I havefound, by practical operation, to be well adapted for the purpose.

The parafiine, wax, stearic acid, or other material employed asawaterproofing agent is placed in a supply vat or tank, A, within whichit is liquefied and maintained in a heated condition by a heater-coil orseries of return-bends of pipes, a, which is fed with steam from aboiler. r

The vat A is, in the instance shown, of triangular section, having awide open mouth or top, and is secured to the side frames or housings,A, of the machine at the upper part and near one end thereof.

Two hollow metallic primary or couch rolls, B B, are mountedhorizontally in bearings in the housings A, with their axes in the samevertical plane. The bearings b-of the upper roll, B, are movablevertically in the housings, and the roll B is pressed downward againstthe roll B by levers b, pivoted to the frames A, said levers bearing onstems or projections on the upper sides of the hearings or boxes b, andhaving weights 1) suspended upon them, by alterations in the position ofwhich the pressure upon the boxes I) may be varied, as required.

The rolls B B are heated by steam supplied by pipes I), passing throughproper stuffingboxes in their end journals.

Two hollow metallic secondary or press rolls, 0 0, having smooth andhighly-polished surfaces, a-re mounted in bearings near the opposite endof the frame, in a similar manner to the rolls B B, and are similarlyheated by steam-pipe c.

Pressure is applied to the movable bearings c of the upper press rolleither by screws 0 as shown, or by weighted levers similar to those ofthe rolls B B.

An endless feeding and distributing felt or carrier, D, of cotton,woolen, or other fabric of a soft, yielding, and absorbent description,is passed between the rolls B and B, and extending therefrom to andbetween the rolls 0 and 0, passes around guide or carrying rollers D, Dand D each mounted in movable bearings in the frame, said bearings beingadj ustable by screws cl d (1 so as to maintain the felt at a constantdegree of tightness upon the rolls around which it passes. The peripheryof the lowermost of the carrying-rollers, D extends into a vat ortrough, E, through the interior of which passesa heater-coil, e, ofsteam- The vat E serves for the reception of pipe.

any surplus liquefied matter that may drop from the felt, or may, ifdesired, perform the additional function of a supply-vat, from which thefelt, in its traverse around the roller D will absorb and carry up saidliquefied material to the rolls B B and O 0. Rotary motion in thedirection of the arrows is imparted to the press-roll O bya belt, f,passing around a pulley, F, on one of the journals of said roll, andtransmitting power thereto from a prime mover, and the lower roll, B, isrotated at the same speed as the roll 0 by a belt,f, passing around apulley, F, on one of itsjournals and around a pulley on the shaft of theroll 0. The rolls B and O are rotated in the opposite direction by theirfrictional contact with the felt D.

A series of perforations or narrow slots, (1 is formed in the side ofthe vatA adjacent to and above the axis of the receiving-roll B, and onone side of the vertical center line thereof, said perforationsextending for a length in the vat about equivalent to that of the rollB, and being covered by a sliding gate or valve, A which is movable andadjustable by screws a so as, either wholly or to any partial extent, touncover the perforations a, and thereby admit of the escape of anydesired quantity of liquefied material therefrom, said material passingin a series of streams or jets directly to and being distributed overthe periphery of the upper roll, B, and thence to the felt D.

If desired, a fibrous strip or mop may be attached to the exterior ofthe vat, upon which the escaping material may fall or through which itmay pass, so as to be more uniformly distributed over the length of theroll B.

The fabric to be treated is wound in a continuous sheet or sheets, Gr,upon a supply roller or reel, G, adjacent to the machine, from which,passing over a guide-roller, y, it is led to and between the upperpress-roll, G, and the felt D, thence partially around the roll 0 .andto a delivery-roll, G or to mechanism for cutting it into desiredlengths.

1n treating fabrics according to my invention the method of procedureand theoperation of the apparatus hereinbefore described are as follows:Paraffine, wax, stearic acid, or other selected waterproofing or sizingmaterial is supplied to the vat A, and, by the heat imparted from theheatercoil, is liquefied and maintained at a proper temperature therein.Steam is admitted to heat the rolls B B O O, and the gate A is adjustedto give a proper discharge-area from the vat A for the liquid material.Rotation being imparted to the rolls and interposed felt D, the materialin the vat A is supplied to the periphery of the upper primary roll, B,upon which it forms a thin coating. 1n the passage of the felt D betweenthe primary rolls B and B it is, by the conjoint eifect of the heat ofsaid rolls and the pressure imparted to the bearings of the upper roll,thoroughly and evenly saturated with the liquid material which itreceives from the roll B, and in this condition passes to the secondaryor press rolls 0 G, where it meets the sheet of fabric G, led from thesupply-roll. By the action of the heat of the rolls 0 O the materialwith which the felt is saturated is prevented from chilling orsolidifying, and by the united effectof such heat and the pressureapplied to the upper roll the fabric G is thoroughl y impregnated withthe waterproofing material conveyed by the felt, the result being touniformly diffuse said material over the surface of and into the textureof the fabric, and at the same time to impart a smooth and calenderedsurface thereto. the rolls B B and O C effectually removes any surplusmaterial from the felt and promotes materially the uniform saturationthereof, which may be further facilitated by per- The pressure ofmitting the felt to dip into the overflow of liquid material containedin the lower vat, E.

I claim as myinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Thecombination, in a machine for waterproofing fabrics, of a supply-"at anda heating device fixed thereto, a pair of hollow primary rolls, one ofwhich receives upon itsperiphery a supply of liquid material from thesupply-vat, said rolls being provided with pipes for applying heat totheir inner surfaces and screws or weighted levers for applying pressureto their bearings, one upon the other, a pair of hollow secondary orpress rolls, similarly provided with mechanism for the ap plication ofheat and pressure, and an endless felt or carrier traversing between themembers of each pair of rolls, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a machine for waterproofing fabrics, of asupply-vat and a heating device fixed thereto, a pair of hollow primaryrolls and a pair of hollow secondary rolls, each pair being providedwith mechanism, as set forth, for the application of heat and pressure,an endless felt or carrier traversing between the members of each pairof rolls, an adjustable guide roller or rollers over .which said carrierpasses and by which its tension may be regulated, and an overflow or surplus-receiving vat, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a machine for waterproofing fabrics, of asupply-vat having a connected heating device and a series of grated sideor bottom openings or perforations, a valve or gate sliding over saidopenings and serving to vary and regulate the divided discharge ofliquid material therefrom, and an internally-heated roll located beneathand adjacent to the perforations of the supply-vat, substantially as setforth.

SYLVESTER GARRETT. Witnesses:

J. SNowDEN BELL, ERASTUS POULSON.

